Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Relationships and Sexual Health Infidelity

Infidelity perceptions differ between men and women

by Taylor & Francis
June 21, 2016
in Infidelity, Social Psychology
Photo credit: highwaystarz/Fotolia

Photo credit: highwaystarz/Fotolia

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Follow PsyPost on Google News

New research published in Sexual & Relationship Therapy has uncovered the different ways in which men and women perceive infidelity.

Infidelity can lead to relationship dissatisfaction and breakdown, though in some cases the problems may be caused by the different ways in which individuals define infidelity. The authors, based in the USA, sought to better understand potential perceptions of infidelity. They found that “women were more likely than men to identify both sexual-based and emotion-based acts as constituting infidelity.”

354 undergraduate psychology students completed an online questionnaire, which aimed to assess their personality and how this related to their perceptions of infidelity and their sensitivity to rejection.

The questionnaire, through different categories of question, categorised infidelity in three ways – sexual infidelity, intimate infidelity, and fantasy infidelity.

The authors suggest that their finding that women were more likely to identify certain acts as infidelity is unsurprising given that the women scored higher than the men on measures of ‘communion’ – “the extent to which a person wants to form and maintain positive interpersonal bonds.”

They concluded the study with suggestions for therapeutic application, including educating individuals on these gender differences to help ease anxieties.

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Gynandromorph research offers insight into the complexities of male sexual attraction
Sexism

Eye-tracking study shows people fixate longer on female aggressors than male ones

June 23, 2025

People pay more visual attention to female aggressors than male ones, but do not consistently judge their actions as more intentional or blameworthy, suggesting that female aggression is seen as unexpected rather than more morally significant.

Read moreDetails
Breakups can trigger trauma in emerging adults
Relationships and Sexual Health

Romantic breakups follow a two-stage decline that begins years before the split, study finds

June 23, 2025

A new study shows that romantic relationships often begin to unravel one to two years before they officially end. Researchers found a two-phase pattern of decline in satisfaction that could help identify when relationships are heading for a breakup.

Read moreDetails
It’s not digital illiteracy: Here’s why older adults are drawn to dubious news
Social Media

Believing “news will find me” is linked to sharing fake news, study finds

June 22, 2025

People who rely on social media to “stumble upon” news are more prone to spreading misinformation, according to a new longitudinal study.

Read moreDetails
Political ambivalence has a surprising relationship with support for violence
Authoritarianism

New study sheds light on the psychological roots of collective violence

June 21, 2025

A new study from Lebanon finds that people with authoritarian beliefs tend to oppose violence against political leaders, while those high in social dominance orientation are more likely to support violence against rival group members.

Read moreDetails
Scientists observe reduced emotional distress in children living near greenery
Racism and Discrimination

Adults’ beliefs about children and race shift when a child’s race is specified, study finds

June 21, 2025

Specifying a child’s race alters how adults perceive their awareness of race and racism, according to new research. Black children are viewed as less “color-evasive” and more racially aware at earlier ages than White children or generic “children.”

Read moreDetails
Study helps untangle the complicated relationship between psychopathy and emotional awareness
Psychopathy

Psychopathic individuals recognize unfairness but are less likely to punish it

June 21, 2025

A new study shows that individuals with higher psychopathic traits are less likely to punish unfair behavior, especially when it costs them personally. The research suggests self-interest, not a lack of moral understanding, drives their reluctance to enforce social norms.

Read moreDetails
The neuroscience of why we cry happy tears
Social Psychology

The neuroscience of why we cry happy tears

June 20, 2025

Why do people cry happy tears? Neuroscience suggests these emotional outbursts occur when the brain becomes overwhelmed by joy, nostalgia, or relief. Far from being irrational, crying during joyful moments helps restore balance and deepen human connection.

Read moreDetails
Epistemic mistrust and dogmatism predict preference for authoritarian-looking leaders
Authoritarianism

Epistemic mistrust and dogmatism predict preference for authoritarian-looking leaders

June 20, 2025

A new study suggests that the way people learn to trust others early in life can shape their political ideology and preference for strong, dominant leaders—though not directly, but through dogmatic thinking and broader political attitudes.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Exposure to heavy metals is associated with higher likelihood of ADHD diagnosis

Eye-tracking study shows people fixate longer on female aggressors than male ones

Romantic breakups follow a two-stage decline that begins years before the split, study finds

Believing “news will find me” is linked to sharing fake news, study finds

A common parasite not only invades the brain — it can also decapitate human sperm

Almost all unmarried pregant women say that the fetus resembles the father, study finds

New neuroscience research reveals brain antioxidant deficit in depression

Scientists uncover kidney-to-brain route for Parkinson’s-related protein spread

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy